Thursday, 30 April 2015

This waterfall is famous as the tallest plunge falls in India and the fifth highest waterfall in the country. With a height of 340 meters, the majestic Noh Ka Likai falls is located in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya.

The majestic Noh Ka Likai Falls

'Noh Ka Likai,' translated, is 'The Leap of Likai.' So, what's behind this name? Read on..."Likai, a Khasi woman, was the resident of village Rangjyrteh, located upstream from the present-day Noh Ka Likai fall. Her husband, a porter, had died, leaving Likai and a little baby daughter behind. She had taken up the porter's job herself to make ends meet, and life was difficult. So, the other women of Rangjyrteh persuaded her to remarry, which she did.

But, the new husband was a green eyed monster, jealous of the attention Likai showered on her baby. So, one day while his wife was out, the monster killed the baby, chopped her up, threw away her bones and cooked her flesh. But, he forgot her little fingers in a kwai (areca nut) basket.When Likai came home, he offered her the prepared food, which she ate and relished. Out of the habit of chewing kwai, she reached out to the basket only to find to her horror, the severed, little fingers of her daughter. Likai realized what she had eaten and was full of remorse. Hurt, heartbroken, desperate and furious, she cried all her way to the edge of the waterfall, screaming with anguish and agony, and jumped to her death."Thus, a name was coined and a legend was born.

The legend of Noh Ka Likai

Setting aside the tragedy, Noh Ka Likai is a trekker's paradise. Don't just look at it from the top. Take the stairs and the trekking trail to the base of the fall and relish the beauty. No worries if you don't like to trek. There are other options for bird watching, photography, angling, swimming, and camping, too!

For the best view, avoid the rains and visit Noh Ka Likai during September-October. Here's a video of the beautiful waterfall:

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Duplicate files are the identical copies of certain files on your computer, which accumulate as a result of excessive copy-pasting errors, repeated attempts of data download or even when you store the same file in two different locations on your disk drive.

Identical files eat up memory and storage space of your computer, making it difficult for you to manage files. It creates a sense of confusion, making identification of the correct version of files inconvenient. Above all, it makes backup a time-consuming process unnecessarily. This is why you need tools for identifying such files and removing them with ease. Here is a list of top five duplicate file finder and remover software, which you definitely need to try:

1. Duplicate Cleaner:

This software is fast and efficient. It lets you find files by name, content, or date. You can find identical images or even compare duplicate music files with the help of tags. You can look for files locally or on the network. The pro version of the software has added features like Duplicate Folder Views, Image Comparison, Zip File Search and other amazing aspects.

Key features: The software features a Selection Assistant tool which assists in choosing the files to be removed. You can trash these files, or copy them to another location. Also, built-in safeguards ensure that the process is secure.

2. Anti-Twin:

Anti-Twin is comparatively a small software for duplicate file identification on hard disk drives. The software helps in managing disk storage spaces via direct file deletion. It is a freeware and available for use in various international languages as well.

Key features: Identical files can be searched for, sent directly to the recycle bin, or completely deleted. There is even an option for comparing the entire binary content of two or more files. In other words, the software is dependent not just on the name of the files, but their content, too.

3. Easy Duplicate Finder:This duplicate file detecting software is rich in features and promises to control the unruliness of files in your computer. Although it is a powerful, effective program, it often tend to be buggy. The interface of Easy Duplicate Finder is old-fashioned, but user-friendly.

Key features: The software lets you scan folders and sub-folders by simply dragging and dropping. Various filters are available for scanning duplicate files according to types, file size limits and folder exclusion, too.

4. Auslogics:Recommended by experts, the Auslogics Duplicate File Finder is a freeware with no term limitations, both for personal as well as commercial use. Because the program runs on smart algorithms, it allows file comparison using not only file names, but also content. This feature is helpful because it dismisses all false search results.

Key features: Intelligent algorithms of the program ensures that no false search results. Also, you can specify file types, scan search results and manually delete identical files. The program is very safe and effective in multiple tests.

5. CloneSpy:CloneSpy, the duplicate file detecting program, lets you perform quick scans, which is helpful in performing identical file cleanup in a jiffy. Once you have the results, you can manually remove the unwanted files from your computer system. Scans can be carried out by specifying file names and content.

Key features: The program helps in finding the older versions of identical files. The biggest advantage of this software is that it lets you identify files that contain zero data, but still occupy space in your computer storage.

Duplicate file identifier and deleter software are very much needed as we can easily lose track of those millions of images, videos, music files and documents thronging in our computer system. Moreover, if you are running out of disk space, it is better to have your system cleaned properly with the help of such programs.

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Bold and beautiful, Zeenat Aman was 'the' glamor girl of Indian Cinema of the 70s and 80s. She was a trendsetter of her times - the first ever Indian actress to be recognized as a sex symbol. An era has passed since then. But, elegance still continues to be her. True, we all remember this 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' diva and her movies very well. But, do you remember the ads she had featured in, too? Like...

Friday, 10 April 2015

Being badass isn't always bad...especially when filmmakers get 'inspired.' Here's a list of some of the most intriguing, infamous people in history, whose lives ended up inspiring movie characters.

Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Psycho (1960)

Edward Theodore 'Ed' Gein was an American serial killer, notoriously famous as a grave robber. It is believed that Gein was obsessively devoted to his mother and began robbing local graves after her death, keeping body parts as trophies. Investigations confirmed that he had practiced necrophilia and experimented with human taxidermy. Gein was declared mentally insane and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The famous character of Norman bates, played by Anthony Perkins in the 1960 movie, Psycho, was inspired by Ed Gein and his crimes.

Ajay Devgan as Sultan Mirza & Emraan Hashmi as Shoaib Khan, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)

The movie narrates the growth of the Mumbai underworld. It is loosely based on the lives of real-life gangsters Haji Mastan (Sultan Mirza, portrayed by Ajay Devgan) and Dawood Ibrahim (Shoaib Khan, played by Emraan Hashmi).

In June, 2008, Travis Victor Alexander was murdered in his house in Mesa, Arizona. Travis had succumbed to death after receiving multiple stabs wounds, a slit throat, and a gunshot to the head. Jodi Arias, his ex-girlfriend, was charged with first-degree murder and convicted in May, 2013. The television drama Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret was released in June, 2013. The film revolves around the infamous love affair between Alexander and Arias, and the murder that happened subsequently.

The movie portrays the infamous Neeraj Grover murder case (2008), for which Kannada actress Maria Susairaj (played by Mahie Gill as Anusha Chawla), and her beau, Naval Lieutenant M.L Jerome Mathew, (played by Deepak Dobriyal as Robin Fernandes) were convicted. According to reports, television executive Neeraj Grover was found by Mathew in Susauraj's bedroom upon a surprise visit payed by him. The latter had then stabbed Grover with a kitchen knife. The body was chopped into pieces, burnt and disposed.

Extreme left and right: Mahie Gill and Deepak Dobriyal in the movieMiddle: Maria Susairaj and Lieutenant M.L Jerome Mathew

Mia Kirshner as Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia (2006)

The movie is partly based on the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947. Her body was discovered in Leimert Part, Los Angeles, California, mutilated and sliced in half at the waist. Post murder, Short had earned the nickname 'Black Dahlia.'

Although denied by the makers, actress Vidya Balan's role of Silk in the film was heavily influenced by the very controversial, South Indian sex siren, Silk Smitha's life.

Left: Vidya Balan as Silk; Right: Silk Smitha

Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose, The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Anneliese Michel was a German born woman who was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy. But, family believed she was possessed by demons. Michel had undergone exorcism rites in 1975 and died a year later due to undernourishment, dehydration and lack of medical care. The case has been cited as an example of negligent homicide and religious hysteria.The character of Emily Rose in the 2005 movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose was inspired by Michel's life.

This 2012 biopic has been inspired by the life of Paan Singh Tomar, who had served the Indian Army and represented India in the 1958 Asian Games. He was a seven times national steeplechase champion, but chose an early retirement only to return to his native land and become a notorious Chambal Valley bandit.

This is America's most infamous poltergeist case, in which, a mysterious vengeful entity (?), popularly known as the Bell Witch had tormented the Bell family settled in Adams, Tennessee, and caused the death of John Bell, the head of the family. The Bell Witch took a particular pleasure in tormenting Betsy, the eldest daughter of John Bell. The 2005 movie An American Haunting portrays the incidents and occurrences that happened during the haunting.

Left: John Bell in An American Haunting; Right: John Bell in real life

Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri Devi, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015)

Margeretha Geertruida "Margreet" Zelle MacLeod, popularly known by her stage name as Mata Hari, was a famous Frisian exotic dancer and courtesan, who was convicted of being a double spy. She was executed by firing squad in France. Actress Swastika Mukherjee's role as Anguri Devi in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! has been hugely inspired by this badass lady.

Saturday, 4 April 2015

Woes of an IT employee are endless. He is paid peanuts, his work is Herculean, appraisals are vague, and life is miserable. His contributions go disregarded, and with a heavy heart he sits down to watch his favorite show - Game of Thrones. And leaping lizards! What does he see? His life reeling in IT!

What the CEO thinks

Go home CEO, you're drunk.

What your Team Leader believes

Why? Why?

What you wish to say to your Team Leader

Geddit?

What all clients try to teach you

Yeah, right. And I am the Kingslayer. How about that?

What you wish you could do to your clients

Burn them all!

The one who takes credit for your work

There are no morons like you. Only you.

About the colleague who recently resigned

When will it be my turn?

Your boss to you, during appraisals

Well, at least I am getting ashes. Something is better than nothing.

You, to your boss

That stands for 'yes sir,' because you are out of words.

And, this is how you'd like to remind your boss about an upcoming yearly appraisal

See my clothes? I need to buy a new sweater. Salary insufficient.

What right does the wolf judge the lion? But, Valar Morghulis, dear friends, when you are into IT.

Friday, 3 April 2015

It's been a while since impatience became the new life. Being minimalist has turned into a norm. 'Keeping it simple' is the new trend. And, here are few movie posters that advocate it. Loud and clear. Keep scrolling...

Hammered

Boo!

"The acorn isn't tasty" - Scrat

Nuclear Reaction

Why so serious?

Princess Merida

Where's Kevin?

V for Very Impressive!

Lord of the Rings...and of Swords?

Ripples, ripples. Run!

Fear Factor Season 100

There's plaque on your teeth, shark!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......$100 Million

Dafuq?

Keep your city clean,

Please use dustbin

- By order, Municipal Corporation

Going Underrr...

Take it with a grain of SALT

Feeling blue

Hasta la vista, baby!

Hey Mark, what's on your mind?

If you happen to come across more of such minimalist awesomeness, do share.